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At Siggraph 2022 in Vancouver, SPEC (Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation) announced the release of its SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 graphics benchmark. This is a significant update to its industry-standard software for measuring graphics performance when using professional software applications.
Measuring Graphics Performance
The SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 benchmark now includes support for the latest Microsoft Windows 11 operating system and much better support for 4K screen resolution. It enables hardware and software vendors, as well as consumers, to measure the 3D graphics performance of systems running under the OpenGL and DirectX APIs (application programming interfaces).
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| SPEC’s latest graphics benchmark viewset, created from API traces of the latest version of 3ds Max. |
Unlike most application performance benchmarks, the SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 graphics benchmark utilizes specially crafted workloads called “viewsets.” These viewsets accurately represent the real-world graphics content and behavior of professional applications, eliminating the need to install the applications themselves.
The viewsets included in the latest SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 benchmark represent the latest versions of 3ds Max, Catia, Creo, Maya, and SolidWorks. The benchmark also includes datasets that accurately replicate real-world medical applications, too.
Updates in SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1
Updates include full support for Windows 11. This is important because Windows 11 is now seeing widespread adoption by OEMs, which are installing it on new PCs. Enterprises also recognize Windows 11 as a Zero Trust-ready operating system capable of protecting data and access across devices. It also offers improved support for 4K screen resolution. When 3840 × 2160-pixel resolution is selected, this setting is more prominently featured in the interface in order to make it clearer that the benchmark was run at 4K resolution.
Hardware and operating system requirements
SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 graphics benchmark has some fairly hefty hardware and software requirements. This is because it is designed to test cutting-edge graphics applications running at high screen resolutions.
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1709 (Fall Creators Update/RS3) or Windows 11 or newer
- 16GB of system RAM or greater
- 80GB of available disk space
- Minimum screen resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels for submissions published on the SPEC website
- OpenGL 4.5 and DirectX 12 API support
- GPU with 2GB or greater dedicated GPU memory
Licensing
SPEC/GWPG (Graphics and Workstation Performance Group) member companies such as AMD, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Intel, Lenovo, and Nvidia receive SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 licenses free as a membership benefit. Ordinary consumers may also download the software for free from here.
However, any for-profit entity that sells computers or computer-related products in the commercial marketplace needs to buy a license. Examples of those requiring a paid license include:
- Computer hardware and software vendors
- Computer component manufacturers (hard drives, memory, device vendors)
- Computer-related service providers (for-profit resellers, distributors, consultants)
- Computer operating system companies
Non-member computer product and service vendors can purchase the latest graphics benchmark for USD 2,500. Existing paying license holders are eligible for a free upgrade to a newly released version of the same software, providing they purchased the license for the older version of the software within six months of the release of the newer version.
Headquartered in Gainesville, Virginia, SPEC is a non-profit organization that establishes, maintains, and endorses standardized benchmarks and tools to evaluate performance for the newest generation of computing systems. Its membership comprises more than 120 leading computer hardware and software vendors, educational institutions, research organizations, and government agencies around the world.